About Kūmara / Sweet Potato
Kūmara (sweet potato) is a staple Pacific and Māori crop — warm soil, mound or ridge planting, and legume nitrogen ahead of slips are traditional companions.
Koanga Institute and regional Māori growers are excellent sources for NZ-adapted cultivars.
Good companions
Plants that pair well with Kūmara / Sweet Potato — tap for their guides. Cited sources appear where research is linked in the matrix.
Legumes fix nitrogen ahead of kumara in traditional Maori and Pacific mound gardens.
CornListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
NasturtiumListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
MarigoldListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
PeaListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
MintListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
OreganoListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
ThymeListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
Avoid planting together
Known poor neighbours — spacing apart or rotating beds reduces shared pest and disease pressure.
Growing tips
- Plant slips when soil is consistently warm — often November in cooler regions.
- Mound soil as vines run; legumes in the prior season feed hungry roots.
- Avoid waterlogging — raised beds or ridges in heavy clay.
Use the compatibility matrix
Filter to Kūmara / Sweet Potato to see green (beneficial), red (incompatible), and grey (neutral) for every pair among 162 plants. Desktop: hover cells. Mobile: tap for details.